Picture this – you are all set to embroider your own designs on your garment. But for that, you need some supplies.
All confident in your skills in embroidering, you barged into the craft store to collect the supplies. You got the right needles, vibrantly coloured threads, oh and some chalks, too. Now for hoops…
Oh no! There are SO MANY hoop options to choose from. Which one should you pick?
Feeling overwhelmed, right?
Well, we thought so! This is why, while you were boasting about your know-how about embroidering, we prepared this guide to tell you all about hoops.
In this blog, we will go over different types of embroidery hoops one by one. So, are you ready?
Let us begin, but first, we need to know…
Why Should You Use An Embroidery Hoop? Do You Really Need To Use One?
Before we dive right into the types of embroidery hoops, we think it would be more beneficial to understand why you need to use them. Moment of truth? There are going to be some times when you might not need to use a hoop while working on your custom embroidery digitizing. However, if you are embroidering for the very first time, then we suggest you use them to make your work easier for you. There are a lot of reasons why you should use an embroidery hoop, such as:
- They tightly stretch the fabric and can help preserve the weave and structure of your fabric. This makes sure that all your stitches are neat and clear
- It is quite natural for the fabric to gather under tension. However, keeping it tight by using a hoop will make your stitches wrinkle-free and prevent the fabric from puckering. In this way, you will have a smoother fabric after being done with embroidery
- Hoops are also great to steer clear of hand fatigue. They help to stabilize the fabric as you embroider on it so that you don’t have to use your hands to do so
- You can also use a hoop stand to hold your hoop. By doing so, your hands will be free completely
7 Different Types Of Embroidery Hoops
There are a lot of different types of embroidery hoops that you can use to embroider your design on the fabric. Each type of hoop is best suited for a different purpose. Let us go over some of the most popular ones to find out which ones suit you the best.
#1 – Plastic Hoops
Plastic hoops are found in a lot of craft stores easily. These hoops are great to use because they have a lip on their inner ring that helps to grip the fabric tightly. This helps the fabric to stay in its place and don’t slip as much.
#2 – Wooden Hoop
Wooden hoops – the most popular types of hoops that you can also find at many craft stores. A lot of applique digitizing experts use these hoops to get their desired designs. Wooden hoops and bamboo hoops are a bit cheaper as compared to the ones we have discussed in this blog, however, their cost does not impact their service. They work just as fine.
It is always a great idea to make sure that the outer and inner rings make a perfect circle. In this manner, there will be the right amount of tension on the fabric. Hoops that make an irregular shape that might not match up and can have gaps in between. Thus, there is one downside – bamboo hoops can misshapen sometimes.
#3 – Flexi Hoops
These hoops are also made up of plastic. However, rather than stiff plastic, the outer ring of these hoops is quite flexible and stretches over the inner ring. They are available in a lot of different colours and some of them are even designed to look like wooden ones. The grip of these hoops is quite fantastic. The cherry on top? These hoops look a bit more appealing as compared to the ones we mentioned above. So, next time you finish your embroidered design, make sure to use these hoops to display your artwork.
#4 – Metal Hoops
Metal hoops are quite rare to be found in craft stores, however you can thrift them a lot. There is one thing that you must know if you are inclined towards these hoops – these hoops are perfect for decorative purposes. However, for day-to-day use, we would suggest you opt for different ones as the outer ring of metal hoops comes with a spring on it. And this spring can weaken over time. Thus, these hoops fail to grip the fabric as tightly. Moreover, these hoops can also leave marks on the fabric.
#5 – Spring Tension Hoops
Rather than a screw, the spring tension hoops come with an inner metal ring that can be squeezed to take it in and out of the hoop. This inner ring offers some tension between the outer ring and the fabric.
#6 – Q-Snap Frames
Q-snap frames come in a lot of different sizes and are also made up of plastic. The plastic pieces of this frame fit together to form a square or rectangle. These four pieces snap onto the frame to tightly grip the fabric. Even though these frames are not as much used as their counterparts, in our opinion, the fabric stays extra secure with them. So, if you are working on larger vector art online, then you can easily embroider it on your chosen fabric and these hoops, as they can be easily found in a larger variety of sizes.
#7 – Mini Embroidery Hoops
Mini hoops usually measure not more than 1 inch in diameter. Because of them being so small, most of the time these hoops are not even used during the actual embroidering process. Another reason for not using them while embroidering could be the fact that they have a solid back to them. Regardless of these reasons, these hoops are ideal to use if you wish to make a necklace or a brooch out of your embroidered design. A lot of people find it easier to work on a 3-inch mini embroidery hoop as compared to the typical 1-inch one.
Summing It All Up!
That is a wrap! Embroidery hoops are indeed a huge part of embroidery, especially for those who are new to this skill. These frames not only make it easier to work on the fabric bit by bit, but they also help to keep the fabric stretched out perfectly. This helps in making the stitches perfectly and in the right place. By reading the information provided above, we are sure that you are all aware of the different types of embroidery hoops. So, go on and get those hoops right now and start embroidering designs that you like.